


October First

by Arsoemon



Series: ShuKita 100 [22]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Angst and Feels, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Short One Shot, Shukita - Freeform, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22966366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsoemon/pseuds/Arsoemon
Summary: A trip to Mementos goes a bit sideways.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke & Kurusu Akira
Series: ShuKita 100 [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1485896
Kudos: 22





	October First

**Author's Note:**

> It’s only rated T because I say F once, and there’s Persona 5 type violence.

They’re here in Mementos working through the request list. Akira had been gathering intel and keeping tabs on requests from both the site and the still growing list of people with whom he’d made a deal, and everything lined up for them to glide through this trip. They’re already on the fourth and final target for today, some sleazy cult leader.

His shadow takes the form of a creature whose appearance always throws Akira off at first. “Baphomet,” Mona growls, his voice grounding Joker in the here and now and more or less dispersing the dread. 

He’s levels above them in power, but Joker’s holding on to personas even stronger than this floating goat. And something in the back of his mind tells him to bless the fuck out of it. He reaches for his mask and summons Dominion. Kougaon, a heavy blessing to the fiend. But not as heavy as he would’ve liked. It does strike the shadow’s weakness, but it’s still at half health even after their all out attack. Joker is confident they can take him down soon but certainly not overly so as he watches the other three front liners prepare for what the shadow will throw next.

It goes for the mind, brainwashing all of them before they even realize. Joker pulls his dagger and watches himself as if through a screen swing his blade at Fox who slices at Skull who in turn clubs Mona who slices back at Skull. In the chaos, the shadow casts bufudyne on Joker, somehow knocking him down and taking the opportunity to induce rage to little avail. Fox cuts Joker deep. Skull hits Fox, and he’s on the edge of collapse. Mona shoots at Skull, and Joker cuts Fox down. All just in time for the affliction to wear off.

Joker looks down at what he’s done, the horror washing over him as if he’s been tossed into a pool. The shadow cackles at its handiwork as Mona and Skull come out of the fog as well. Mona immediately revives Fox just as Joker slowly turns to the fiend, an equally unholy rage working its way up from his chest and through his arms. He summons Dominion once more, the blessing seeming to take more out of the shadow this time. Fox still looks a bit shaky, but he’s up and ready for the all out attack.

The cognitive man kneels defeated before them, and Joker is only half listening to his sorry confession and excuses. He keeps glancing at Fox, trying to catch his eye, praying that he doesn’t hate him.

“Joker?” They’re all collecting the spoils of battle, looking at him expectantly. He snatches the small manifested treasure and turns, vacantly suggesting they head straight to the entrance to call it a day. Everyone seems normal if a bit tired as they await the side effects of traversing the space between the Metaverse and reality. Fox is a bit quiet, but Joker has to remind himself that that’s not particularly out of the ordinary. Everyone calls their farewells and see you laters as they split off to their various transfer lines.

Futaba peers from Akira to Yusuke then back to Akira—her knowing expression making her look very much like Sojiro—and picks up Morgana. “Come, Mona. Homeward we trod!” The cat reluctantly accepts her scratches and head pats as she walks them through the station. That leaves two: Yusuke absently stretching against the wall and Akira watching him timidly.

“Um, so about what happened back there...” Akira rubs his neck apologetically. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to hurt you.”

“It is alright,” Yusuke turns to glance at him. “My stomach is easily overwhelmed by all the sudden turns and jolts we experience during the drive, no matter how smoothly you steer. It is simply the nature of a place whose layout changes each time one steps into it.”

It takes Akira a second to realize what he’s talking about. They did have to stop before they reached the first target to give Yusuke’s stomach a chance to settle, but that wasn’t a big deal; he always gets a bit queasy in the Monabus. If anything, Akira blames himself for not getting to the store for more Pepto before this trip. And anyone who ate as much of the experimental sushi as Yusuke had would’ve been right there with him.

“I-I meant the fight,” he looks down, gnawing his lip.

“Ah, the cult leader, yes?” Akira nods, still not meeting his eyes. “I too would like to apologize for harming you and the others. However, we would be remiss if we overlooked the fact that we were brainwashed.”

“You didn’t kill me,” Akira looks away. Yusuke eyes him for a moment before closing the distance between them. Akira startles a bit when he begins to speak, much closer to him than he ever is in a less than crowded public space.

“Please, do not trouble yourself over the matter. I know it wasn’t you.”

Akira still feels bad, but he does look at him then. “If it still bothers you, you may treat me to dinner. And perhaps we could rent more movies? You said last time we would need to,” Yusuke begins walking. “Oh! Do you think they will have the second Featherman movie? Futaba refuses to lend it to me on account of hers being a signed copy of the director’s cut. Ah, but you have yet to see the first.... Perhaps they will have both! Truly, you are in for a treat! The effects are dated as compared to some of today’s big budget films, but the ingenuity never fails to amaze! I believe you will enjoy the opening sequence when they-“

Akira follows alongside him as he quotes the first five minutes of the movie line for line. He’s long since gotten used to the stares and occasional giggles they get when Yusuke gets like this. And he can’t help but smile, the expression threefold: for how free and unapologetic Yusuke is and for the simple fact that he is still alive and apparently unaffected by what had been weighing so heavily on Akira’s heart. Possibly even more than all that, though, is the fact that Yusuke believed him. He had been cast out of his hometown on false charges for doing the right thing, and no one, not even his parents, had believed he was innocent. But here is this boy who’s known him for less than a full year, who he himself—under malevolent control—had attacked and killed. And he declared him innocent before he had even apologized.

Akira tunes back into Yusuke’s ode to the Featherman franchise with a new appreciation for what led to this brief moment of pure joy. Not even the nagging feeling that it all was bound to come crashing down sooner rather than later could weigh down his grateful heart.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m once again in the dread period of the game😞 This happened, and of course I felt bad for how it went down—my choice or not—so a fix-it fic I guess. Thanks for reading!


End file.
